Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-08-18
CHAPTER XXXIII.
A QUEEN IN EXILE.

queen IN EAlLb.
"You seem very much interested in
the woman, Ethel" said the duke.
"How many proteges have you? There
is the blind child at Clavering, the deaf
and dumb man, the old woman on the
hill, all taken under your special pro-
lection, and now it seems to me that
you have quite adapted the occupant
! of the pretty cottage as your especial
protegee.
lem hardly call her that, Fulke.
When | am with her / have the feeling
that l am the protegee, she seems SO
much my superior"
The duke laughed.
"That betokens a very hum BILE frame
of mind, Ethel" he said.
at is perfectly true; when / go into
her pretty little parlor, and she receives
me with that dignity and half-pathetic
grace of hers, | feel as though L were
visiting some queen in exile. You can
form no idea how perfectly beautiful
and perfectly graceful she is"
The duke and his young wife were
standing on the lawn, watching the
tame birds as they came and went.
The duchess, in relating her adventures
of the previous day, was telling him
with delight other visit 10 Lime Ter
race.
"How old is she?" he asked with sud-
den interest.
II should think she is about thirty
five or thirty. six, 'she replied. She
would look younger than that but for
the lines of pain on her face"
''Is she married? is she a widow, or
what?" asked the duke.
~ should think she is widow, but
she never speaks of herself" said the
duchess.
II hope to Heaven" said the duke
quickly, that she is not an adj
ventures"
"Oh, Fulke, what horrible idea;
that is the first unkind thing have
ever heard you say"
The duke raised her beautiful face to
| his and kissed it.
II know the world" he said "and
you do not"
"But, Fulke." she cried, blushing a
| little under his fervent caress, "she is
more like saint than an adventuress.'
"Women have many sides To their
character, my DEAR, he said Iaconically
Il would not for the whole world, in
| terfere with your charities, but yo
must be prudent; 1t would never do for
the Duchess OF Meath to assist an ad-
ventures, even under the guise of
charity. We must be prudent, Ethel"
"Come with me, Fulke, and Judge for
yourse f." said the duchess, eagerly;
''see her-speak to her-and / will
abide by your judgement of her. IL you
do not approve of her | will give I'D
visiting her at once; but it is my opin-
! ion you will come away quite as much
| tn Inr 1yith ha I
81 hope not" laughed the duke. "If
there is any probability of that had
better stay away. On what pretext
can go, Ethel?"
ave will go together" she replied,
''and l will risk you to come in to see
her collection of flowers; they are really
beautiful"
II trust all to your tact and discre-
tion," said the duke "but, for your sake,
Ethel, should like to be quite sure"
"She tells me she has seen better
days." said the duchess.
"There are so many kind of better
days." said the duke, gently. ~ should
like to know more Of her before you
visit her much oftener, Ethel"
For the duchess had taken strange
liking to Mrs. Grey, and the more she
saw her the better she liked her.
The little pony carriage was often
seen at the door of No. Lime Terrace
now, with its load of fruit and flowers
and hooks. The neighbors took 1t as Q
matter of course; Mrs. Grey mended
lace for the duchess-that explained
everything. They were rather proud
of seeing the carriage SO often, and
spoke in more familiar tones of the
Castle and its occupants, and rather
gave themselves airs on the matter.
1t was one Of the duchess's greatest
pleasures to call on Mrs. Grey. She
liked the peep into another life; she
liked to sit in the little parlor, where
the flowers were so beautiful, and tall
to her, she liked to see the pale, beauti-
full face brighten for her, and to read the
admiration in those beautiful eyes, and
one morning, when they were sitting
together, the duchess said suddenly.
"Do you know, Mrs. Grey, your face
seems to grow familiar to me; l can no
help feeling must have seen it before
The first time | saw you, you were
looking at the bluebells-dO you re
member; and then I was struck with
the same thought, but whether l have
seen IL In real life, In dreams, or In 0
picture, can not tell. You have q
face Just like the Mater Dolorsa' In